Ring Gear bolts for 7 5/8 10-bolts are left handed threads. I learned this when I stripped two of them out trying to get a ring gear out.

I thought only the Japanese were the only ones dumb enough to use left handed threads.

Fortunatly, the gear is saveable, I just have to go get a left hand thread tap.

*pissed*

 

Bummer.

Lesson of the day: Assumption is the mother of all ****ups.

 

Lesson of the day....Look at the head of the bolt. Back in the 'old' days, cars had left-hand thread on the drivers side lugnuts and right-hand thread on the other. One of our certified techs had all the studs broke off on wheel before I had a chance to show him the "L" in the stud. 63 dodge dart vert(push button auto), I think.

 

I normally catch things like this, but I didn't on this one.

 

i wouldn't want to say it's common knowledge, but i believe it's known the threads are LH on the ring gear. don't beleive they're marked with a L or anything. some how i knew they were left hand long before i ever took my first one apart.

 

AFAIK that's somewhat universal on ring gear bolts. Every GM rear I've ever worked on had LH ones; seems like a Chrysler 9¼" I worked on recently had them too.

But, definitely worth noting, even if it's well known to people with more experience.

 

I changed gears on a BW 9 bolt and it had a "L" on the bolts.